There was no doubt that Jan Barwick Parson was surprised when it was announced she had won the Pinnacle of Achievement award Thursday afternoon.

The award — presented annually to the top local female businessperson by the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce — is one of the most prestigious in the area.

“It’s just an honor to be with a group of ladies who have already received this in the past,” said Parson, who was presented the award by the 2012 winner, Linda Rouse Sutton. “It’s just an honor to be nominated, but to win it is unbelievable.”

Parson is the director of events and programs for the Chamber and is usually the one who orders the trophy and puts together the press release about the winner.

This year, she actually wrote a press release on someone she thought had won the award, while her boss, Chamber President Laura Lee Sylvester, wrote the “real” release and ordered the trophy behind Parson’s back.

“I was totally and completely surprised,” Parson said. “I had absolutely no idea I would be receiving this.”

Sylvester admitted the past few days of hiding the news from her friend and coworker was unnerving.

“This was close to the best day I’ve ever had at the Chamber,” Sylvester said. “The reason I’m most excited for Jan is that she does so much for this community that is not part of her job description at all. She is so deserving of this and I’m so pleased for her.”

Criteria for winners include demonstrating excellence, creativity and initiative in their profession; providing valuable service by contributing time and energy to improving the quality of life in their community; and assisting others in reaching their full leadership potential.

Her nomination included, “She has never wavered nor given a second thought that this is a city and county worth believing in and investing in.”

Parson wasn’t the only winner at Thursday’s ceremony that took place during the Kinston Noon Rotary weekly meeting. The 2013 Small Business Award was presented to Corporate Resources; the 2013 Minority Business Award was won by PathChoice Counseling; and the 2013 Microenterprise of the Year was awarded to Fin-Tastic Fish & Pets.

Corporate Resources was founded in 1951 by Mr. and Mrs. A.R. Bowen on Caswell Street. A fire caused by a lightning strike destroyed the building in 1989, leaving the owners with a decision of whether to rebuild or not. The owners decided to stay in Kinston and paid their employees during the nine-month period it took to rebuild their new location at 704 Plaza Blvd.

The company, now headed by Scott Bowen, was recently named by Quick Printing Magazine as one of the Top 100 Printers in North America.

Evelyn Dove-Coleman, a counselor and author, is the owner of PathChoice, which was started in Chapel Hill in 1992. After being relocated to Kinston in 1996, the organization has offered cost-free counseling to individuals and families through email, in phone calls and in person. The organization also provides role model speakers to motivate inner-city, at-risk youth to “choose paths” that are crime-free, drug-free and illiteracy-free.

PathChoice, 539 Briary Run, will host a writing camp this summer designed to help youth and adults develop little books by the end of the camp.

Fin-Tastic is owned by Debbie and Stan Hauer, who have a combined 53 years of experience in horse and cattle breeding and ranching, commercial fishing and SCUBA diving to collect marine livestock. The couple moved to Lenoir County in 2006 to be closer to Debbie’s mother and opened the store at 705 Phillips Road — which sells a growing variety of fresh and saltwater fish, livestock, plants, coral, equipment and supplies for indoor and outdoor aquariums — in April 2012.

The shop also sells exotic birds, reptiles, arachnids, amphibians, hamsters and ferrets, among many other animals and supplies for them.

Bryan C. Hanks can be reached at 252-559-1074 or at Bryan.Hanks@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at BCHanks.